HTC may launch Windows Phone devices later this year, touts partnership with Microsoft

HTC unveiled a couple of new Android-based handsets, including the Desire 816 and Desire 610, at the Mobile World Congress 2014 yesterday. However, there's more to follow from the Taiwanese OEM in the coming months, and the company may have a few Windows Phone powered handsets in the pipeline too. While talking to Re/code, HTC America president Jason Mackenzie said the company is planning to target new segments in the US. He also said users should expect new Windows Phone models as well.

He didn't get into specifics of what it could be and when we could expect it except, "We’ll continue to partner with Microsoft." Microsoft is expected to announce Windows Phone 8.1 later this year at the Build Developer Conference, and we could expect a couple of new handsets from various OEMs, including HTC as well.

“We’ve got to get mainstream America to want to go into a retail store and ask for HTC,” Mackenzie said. “That’s our biggest challenge … and to do that against two Goliaths who have huge war chests.” The "two Goliaths" mentioned, to our understanding, are Apple and Samsung who have dominated the US market.

Samsung is also rumored to be working on a Windows Phone 8.1 powered handset dubbed as Samsung Huron, and it seems HTC might enter the Windows Phone ecosystem once again in the coming months. If they do, it would be pretty good to see some decent competition as Nokia is currently dominating the entire Windows Phone market.

Do you want to see Windows Phone handsets from the Taiwanese OEM? Share your thoughts.